Feds: Fake news sites link to acai berry diet

The FTC said the defendants operate websites that seem like legitimate news-gathering sites, but actually promote deceptive advertisements that urge consumers to buy acai berry products.

The sites use names and logos of major media outlets such as ABC, CNN and Consumer Reports while touting articles documenting a "reporter's" own experience with acai berry supplements. The stories often claim that the reporter lost 25 pounds in four weeks.

"Almost everything about these sites is fake," said David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "The weight loss results, the so-called investigations, the reporters, the consumer testimonials, and the attempt to portray an objective, journalistic endeavor."